Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Escaping Reality
by flblaziken
Summary: Samir thought that a little vacation from his internship at the Pewter City Museum would be fun and relaxing. However, participation in an experiment forces him to travel in a world where only Pokemon exist. Will he be able to get out, or be stuck there forever? This story is loosely based on PMD: Red/Blue Rescue Team. Hope you enjoy the first of many side stories! :)
1. Prologue

**Hello readers, and welcome to the first side story, featuring Pokémon Mystery Dungeon! The side stories that do not include Summer as the main character will be written in the third person and be significantly shorter compared to the main stories. They will also not have recaps/previews or Pokémon descriptions to make the stories more fluid. If people don't like these changes, I may consider revising the chapters. Now, enjoy the story, featuring Samir Patajhad! :)**

 **Prologue**

 _Three years ago, a boy mysteriously woke up as a Pokémon. Although it was tough, especially being able to talk to and understand Pokémon, he was able to participate in a rescue team, along with another Pokémon. Through many trials and difficulties, the boy realized why he became a Pokémon in the first place: to save their world from a falling meteor. After he and his partner were able to persuade the Legendary Pokémon Rayquaza to destroy the asteroid, the boy had to make a choice: either to return to his world or remain in the Pokémon world. Three years later, his decision would almost destroy the Pokémon world again…_

Dr. Mustard paced around the room, brushing his thinning blonde hair with his hands.

 _I'm running out of time! My greatest treasure… Will it be gone forever?!_

A knock on his office door interrupted his thoughts. "Dr. Mustard, may I come in?"

The doctor hid his sorrow and cleared his throat. "Yes, come in, Ms. Fennel."

Fennel carefully opened the door and walked inside. Her long black hair brushed against her hands. "You wanted to see me, professor?"

"Oh, yes. Were you able to find a test subject for our experiment?"

She looked at him sadly. "No… I wasn't able to get anyone from the university to help. But I have a suggestion."

His head perked up. "Please go right ahead with your suggestion, Ms. Fennel."

Her face immediately brightened. "Well, why don't I find something outside the university? I'll use the waiver and everything."

Dr. Mustard then stroked his yellow mustache. "Very well, I will speak to the university. Go ahead and find someone!"

Fennel was able to squeal but she maintained her composure. "Right, professor. I won't let you down."

She calmly walked out into the hallway, but once she left, she immediately dashed off.

The doctor thought to himself. _Yes, Ms. Fennel… Find someone worthy. Soon, the fruits of my research will finally bear fruit, and my treasure will be recovered!_


	2. PMD 1

Chapter 1- Research into the Pokémon Mind

"Thanks for the translation app, Summer!" Samir happily shouted as he talked to his friend through the Pewter City Pokémon Center's videophone. "I can't wait to use it!"

The ten-year old girl smiled. {Of course! After helping Professor Oak update some information and incorporating genderless translations, the translation app can now be used for Kanto and Johto Pokédexes. You're one of the first people to try it out! I know you used it to scan your Pokémon before, so their words should automatically translate.}

The intern grinned. "I can't wait to talk to my Pokémon like you! How much longer are you going to stay in Kanto?"

{Hmm… I'm almost done with my work here. I can't believe it's been four months already. Not sure where I'll go next.}

"I'm sure you'll find a region. Oh, I should get going. I'm going to stay in Saffron City while the museum is undergoing some renovations."

{Cool! I can tell since you don't have your lab coat on. The white polo shirt and black jeans really suit you. Have fun, and let me know how the translation app's working out for you!}

"I will! Thanks, again Summer!" The two friends waved goodbye and ended the call. Samir took his Pokédex out of the transfer slot of the machine and opened the app. Once he applied all of his settings, an earpiece popped out of a small compartment. He picked it up and inserted it into his left ear.

 _I can't wait to see how this works!_

As he picked up his satchel, Cappy ran over to him and asked, "Ready to go, Samir?"

"Cappy! I can finally understand you!" his Trainer shouted, scaring the Pikachu and causing him to roll backwards. "Oh, sorry about that."

His Pokémon rubbed his ears. "That's okay. I kind of heard the conversation while I got some last minute things." He carried some pamphlets of Saffron City and placed it into the bag.

"We don't need this, Cappy," Samir replied. "I'm originally from there. My dad worked at one of the top business firms there before he was relocated to Goldenrod City."

"Really?" Cappy asked. "How come you never said anything about that before?"

Samir casually crossed his arms. "I don't remember it well, but some of my memories there are hazy. So, I guess we should bring them anyway, huh?"

Cappy laughed and secured the pamphlets. Samir put on his bag, returned Cappy, and flew on Terry to Saffron City. After a 30-minute trip, they landed in front of the Pokémon Center. Samir thanked his Pidgeot for the safe journey and was about to enter the building when a woman in her early 20s exited the doors and rammed into him. He fell to the ground and forcefully rubbed his head. He then got up and helped the woman, who had long, straight black hair. She was wearing a lab coat, wide glasses, and a beautiful pink flower hairpiece over her left ear. Her appearance told Samir she was a woman filled with knowledge and fantasy.

"Oh my gosh!" she gasped with a soft but energetic tone. "I'm so sorry!"

"No, I'm sorry. I should've watched where I was going. I'm Samir, by the way. I'm here on vacation. What's your name?"

The two shook hands. "My name's Fennel. I'm originally from the Unova Region, but I'm studying Pokémon psychology here at Saffron University."

"Really, how cool! I'm currently doing an internship at the Pewter City Museum!"

She clasped her hands eagerly. "Wow, an intern at such a young age! That must mean you're going into the research field, correct?"

Samir sheepishly parted his hair. "I'm not entirely sure, but it's a possibility."

Fennel adjusted her glasses. "Since you know about research, can I ask a favor of you?"

"Sure…" Samir responded, not sure where this conversation was going.

"Great! Follow me and I'll tell you!" She grabbed onto Samir's right wrist and took off, causing Samir to uncomfortably keep up with her pace.

After several minutes, they entered a college campus with five white buildings, each representing a different branch of study. She dragged the boy into the building with the name, "College of Social Sciences," and almost carried him up the stairs. Once they arrived in front of a door with the name, "Dr. Mustard, Ph.D. in Pokémon Psychology," she realized what she was doing and let go of Samir's wrist.

"I'm sorry, Samir!" she apologized as she hastily bowed. "I tend to get a little carried away with things related to my research."

He rubbed his wrist and said, "Don't worry, Fennel. I do the same sometimes. What do you need help with?"

She knocked on the door, and a man's voice told them to come in. Samir entered the office space and saw an elderly man with blonde hair shuffling papers amongst his wooden desk. After Cappy walked inside and Fennel closed the door, the man looked up from his leather chair and greeted with a gruff but friendly voice, "Hello, Ms. Fennel. Is this your test subject?"

Samir was shocked. "T-test subject?"

The professor was confused and stroked his beard. "Ms. Fennel…did you not tell him what his role will be?"

Fennel objected, "I was just about to tell him. But before that…" She then looked at the boy. "Samir, this is my research advisor, Dr. Mustard. He's well known for his research in the relationship between human and Pokémon minds."

Dr. Mustard got up and offered his hand to Samir. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Samir."

Samir firmly shook his hand. For some reason, he had a bad feeling about the scientist, but it might have just been his nerves.

"Now that introductions are done, let me explain why you're here, Samir," Fennel explained. "We're trying to see if people can understand Pokémon by becoming one."

"Wait…" Samir said. "Is that even possible?"

"It's a theory, but it's highly probable," Dr. Mustard added. "We have a device at the university that allows us to measure human brain waves. We're planning to put you in a 'dream world' where only Pokémon exist. Appropriately named, the Pokémon world. There, you'll become a Pokémon and learn how to behave as one of them. We'll take notes of your brain activity, and our analysis should be done in about a week. You only need to come for two hours a day. We'll be here to ensure your safety and health. We would also need you to sign this waiver, which says we are not liable for any major damages. But I ensure you, it won't come down to that."

"So what do you say, Samir?" Fennel asked, with a slight pining in her voice.

 _This sounds really interesting… It could help me understand Pokémon in ways not normally possible, and I can report these events to Summer. But that man…I feel he's hiding something, but I'll deal with it when it comes…_

Samir smiled at the two researchers and signed the waiver lying on the professor's desk. "Sure, I'll do it."

Fennel squealed and guided him through the right door, where their device was placed. It was a long bed with a brainwave-measuring device connected to three different machines. The intern climbed onto the bed and allowed the college student to attach the silver dome-like hat onto his head.

"Now, please lay down, Samir," Fennel said in a relaxed tone. "I'll ask you some questions to help you enter the Pokémon world."

After he did just that, she picked up a clipboard that was on top of one of the machines. She detached the pencil and lightly tapped the eraser end to her lower lip.

"All right. First question: do you dream of lounging around idly without much excitement?"

Samir pondered, _These are really thought-provoking questions…_

"I guess I do."

"Great!" Fennel checked the question off the clipboard. "Next, do you often yawn?"

"Yawn…" He giggled. "I guess that answers your question."

"It certainly does! Do you occasionally consider yourself to be dull and overly cautious?"

"Well, I am a scientist, so I guess so…"

Fennel laughed. "The dangers of science! Now, have you ever made a pitfall trap?"

Samir was perplexed. "No, I don't remember learning how to do one…"

"Okay… What do you do with your room's light when you're going to bed?"

"Easy! I turn it off to save electricity."

"As expected from a lover of science. Lastly, you receive a gift but you don't know what's in it. You're curious, so what do you do?"

"I guess I'll open it later. There's always plenty of time to open it."

Suddenly, Samir started to feel sleepy, and it was hard to keep his eyes open.

Fennel checked the measurements on the machines. "All right, Samir. You should be entering the Pokémon world soon. Just relax. We'll wake you up when the session's over. Oh, before I forget…the quiz shows you have…a Calm…nature…which means…"

Samir could barely hear the rest of her sentence as he drifted off to sleep. When he slowly opened his eyes, he looked around the natural scenery. A light breeze shook the leaves of trees clustered together, making it a peaceful environment. He tried to move his arms, but instead seeing his hands, two vines shot out of his neck. Shocked, he retracted them and ran to a nearby stream. Even though the gurgling water made it hard to see his reflection, he was able to make out a large green leaf on his head.

He fell backwards and fearfully shouted, "I…I'm a Chikorita!"


	3. PMD 2

**Chapter 2- The Mystery of the Dungeon**

Samir breathed deeply, in an effort to calm himself down. _Okay…this isn't weird at all… Becoming a Chikorita's pretty cool…right?_

He looked down and saw he was on four legs now. He tried moving his front legs, but he struggled to maintain his balance. After a few minutes, he was able to walk without tripping over himself. Proud, he then noticed his watch was around his front left leg.

"That's strange…why is my watch still here when my clothes aren't?" he thought aloud.

"Hey, you okay, kid?" a deep voice asked from his right.

Samir jumped and saw a Pikachu in that direction. He looked like the iconic Electric type, but he had a few spikes on his head and a distrusting glare, as if he's lived for a while. He had an orange satchel around his left shoulder that had a pink badge with wings and an orange R pinned on the strap.

"O-oh! I'm fine!" Samir reassured, using his right vine to rub the back of his head.

Pikachu, on the other hand, wasn't convinced. "You sure? Just before, you were talking about clothes…and you have that weird thing around your leg…" Pikachu was still unsure, but he waited for the stranger's response.

 _I guess I need to be blunt with this Pikachu…_

"Umm…how should I put this?" Samir pondered aloud. "Well, my name is Samir…and…I'm a human."

"Oh…" Pikachu answered. Samir expected him to be shocked, but he still kept that vacant expression.

"D-Does that surprise you?"

The Electric type shook his head. "Not really. I mean, it's happened before."

"Wait, what happened-"

"HELP! HELP!" a female voice desperately shouted.

"Sorry… I have to go." Pikachu ran to the source of the cry while Samir, still curious about what he said, followed him. After a few minutes, they found a Butterfree fluttering about the entrance of the forest. A sign labeled "Tiny Woods" was posted outside.

"What seems to be the problem, ma'm?" Pikachu asked.

Butterfree noticed us and descended onto the grass. "Please help me, rescue team! My baby's lost in Tiny Woods! He's so young, I don't know if he can survive in there…"

Before Samir could comprehend the events, Pikachu determinedly reassured, "We'll find your child. Please wait here and we'll get him out."

She was greatly relieved. "Thank you, and be safe!"

He then turned to the confused Chikorita. "Come on, kid. Let's go inside and save Caterpie."

"O-Okay…" Samir and Pikachu cautiously entered the woods, where the environment became more isolated and narrow.

Pikachu looked around and said, "Follow me. I'll teach you about these places. They're called mystery dungeons."

"M-Mystery dungeons? Why are they called that?"

As they continued walking, the path revealed a large room at the end, with a downwards staircase in the northwest corner.

"That's why," Pikachu pointed out. "Every floor changes in shape and size, so you don't know what you'll face going deeper into a dungeon. The Pokémon living in them are very territorial and will attack any intruders that they encounter."

"Isn't that really dangerous?"

The Mouse Pokémon annoyingly looked at the Chikorita. "Wow…you really are a human. You're a Pokémon now, so you have moves to protect yourself. Think about what you know before you continue on."

 _Moves? Let me see… Since I can use my vines, I can use Vine Whip. What else?_

Samir closed his eyes, and three other moves came into his mind. He could picture them so clearly, as if he practiced them before. _I know! My other moves are Razor Leaf, Reflect, and_ _Synthesis!_

When he opened his eyes, Pikachu asked, "You figured them out yet?"

He nodded. "Yes, I do."

"All right then, let's continue…"

Pikachu led him downstairs, which magically changed its shape to help Samir climb down without any awkward movements. Once they reached the second floor, they were surrounded by four ferocious-looking Pidgey and two angry Wurmple.

Pikachu smirked and got down on all fours. "Ready to battle, kid?"

"Of course! Ready when you are!"

Samir set up a Reflect as Pikachu unleashed several Thundershocks from his cheeks, scaring the Pidgey away. As they dodged the Wurmples' String Shot, Samir used his vines to tie them up and throw them onto the ground. Scared by the much stronger opponents, the Bug types fled as well, allowing them to continue.

Pikachu softly smiled, "Not bad for a human."

Samir slightly tilted his head. "Thanks… I guess?"

The Chikorita didn't push for a better response, which pleased his new partner. After almost an hour, the two made it into a clearing on the next floor. Inside, they found a shaking Caterpie, who was curled into a circle.

"Hey, there. Are you Caterpie?" Pikachu softly asked.

Caterpie got up and nodded.

"Come on. We're here to bring you back to your mom."

"R-Really?" the Bug type squealed. "Th-Thank you so much!"

Samir smiled. "Come on, you can sit on my back!"

Caterpie nodded and inched his way onto Samir. The Chikorita giggled but didn't move as to not frighten him. The three made their way back, which was easier than their earlier walk. Once they reached the forest entrance, Butterfree was anxiously waiting for them.

"My baby Caterpie!" she happily shouted.

"Mama!" The two hugged, making Samir shed a small tear.

Butterfree then turned to her son's rescuers. "How can I ever thank you? I don't have anything to pay you…"

Pikachu smiled and shook his head. "No need for a reward, ma'm. Seeing you reunited with your son's enough for me."

"Me too!" Samir exclaimed. They then waved goodbye to their new friends as they went back home in a nearby tree.

The Electric type crossed his arms and looked at Samir. "You know, kid. You're not half bad. How about we actually team up and become a real rescue team?"

Before Samir could give an answer, a small electric shock coursed through his body. He shut his eyes, and when he opened them, he was back in Saffron University.

"So," Fennel asked as she unhooked him from the bed and hat. "How did it go?"

Samir stretched and stood up. "It was really fun! I can't wait for the next session."

Fennel squealed, "That's great! See you tomorrow, Samir."

* * *

 **Several hours later…**

"Wow, Samir! I didn't know you did all that in just two hours!" Banksia gasped as his Trainer told her, Terry, and Cappy about his adventures. They were sitting in the empty lobby of the Pokémon Center as everyone else were asleep except for Nurse Crocus.

Samir excitedly nodded. "Yeah! I can't wait for tomorrow's session!"

Cappy nodded the clock above the Pokémon Center reception desk. "It's getting late. We should get to bed."

Terry yawned. "Yeah…I want to see the city while there's light out."

Samir laughed. "All right, Terry. We can go on one of those free sightseeing tours tomorrow."

His Pokémon cheered as the intern returned them. While he walked back into his room, a man and his Hypno spied on the boy from the alley outside of the building. The man wore a black trench coat, khaki pants, and a black hat. After the boy disappeared, he looked at the main street and saw there were no passersby. "He's the perfect subject. You know what to do, Mentor."

The Hypnosis Pokémon reluctantly nodded and snuck in through a back door. Since the nurse just turned off the lights, he didn't arouse any suspicion as he wandered through the dormitory hallway. Mentor then noticed a room with the lights still on and heard Samir's voice through the bottom of the door. Then, the lights turned off, and the sounds of someone climbing into bed passed through the wooden door. After several hours, the Psychic type heard light snoring and made his move by silently unlocking the door with his Confusion attack.

He then quietly opened the door to not disturb the sleeping boy and his Pikachu. Feeling it should be an easy job, he lifted Samir up with Confusion and carefully levitated him out of the room. Then, he closed and locked the door, smiling to himself. As he walked out with his target, he didn't hear Cappy stirring.

The Pikachu blearily looked around since he heard a soft clicking noise. When his vision became clearer, he noticed Samir was gone. Panicked, he opened the door with his tail and ran outside. There, he saw a man dressed in black, the Hypno, and Samir soundly sleeping in a wooden cart. The two kidnappers looked back at the entrance and were shocked to discover a Pikachu angrily staring at them.

"Samir! Wake up!" Cappy desperately shouted.

Samir stirred and slowly opened his eyes. The moon illuminated the Psychic type, scaring Samir awake. Hypno then glared at him and tried to hypnotize him with his pendulum. As the boy resisted, he shouted, "Cappy, Thunderbolt!"

The Pikachu didn't hesitate and released an electric bolt at the man.

But he immediately commanded, "Mentor, Confusion!"

Mentor disrupted his session and used Confusion to catch the Thunderbolt and hurl it back at the user. Cappy tumbled backwards by the combined move and when he stopped, he struggled to stand.

"Come, Mentor!" the man frantically shouted.

Before Samir could issue another command, Mentor forced him into a deep slumber. The two carted the boy away as Cappy was unable to help his Trainer. The Pikachu slowly got up and crawled back into the Pokémon Center, hoping his friends can help.

After an hour of sneaking through the quiet streets, the three made it to Saffron University. They carried the sleeping boy through the campus and into Dr. Mustard's office. Once they arrived in the professor's research lab, they attached the brainwave device over Samir's head and locked him onto the bed.

"Excellent," the man said aloud. "As long as he's inside the Pokémon world, he'll be able to help bring him back!"


	4. PMD 3

**P.S.- If you haven't seen it yet, there's a new poll about the spinoff games. Please vote and let me know what you think! :)**

 **Chapter 3- Mt. Steel**

Samir slowly woke up and found himself inside a wooden hut with a sturdy roof made of tree branches and rope. A small stream flowed through the house, with round, grey stones bridging the sleeping area and the living room area. He looked at his reflection and saw he was a Chikorita once more.

 _What happened? And where am I?_

He crossed the stones and curiously looked around the rest of the hut. A glint coming from his right caught his eye and he walked towards it. As he was about to approach to a picture on a bamboo shelf on the western side, he heard a familiar voice.

"So, you finally woke up."

Samir looked at the entranceway and saw Pikachu staring at him. "You've been knocked out for so long, I thought you died."

Samir nervously laughed. "Thanks for bringing me inside, Pikachu."

The Mouse Pokémon looked around and nodded. "It's been my house ever since I moved here three years ago. Anyway, where've you been since I last saw you?"

"Umm… It's kind of hard to explain…"

The Electric type shrugged. "Fair enough. Anyway, have you thought about my offer?"

Samir scratched his head with his leaf. "About being part of your rescue team? Yeah, I guess so."

"Excellent. We have to get supplies for our next mission," Pikachu declared as he picked up an extra badge on the shelf.

He tossed it to the Chikorita, who caught it with his vine and stared at it.

 _I don't know why I'm back here, but I need to figure this out for myself…_

Samir attached the badge to his neck and followed Pikachu down a stone street. There, he found himself in a town bustling with activity. Although it happened so fast, he was able to meet some of the citizens of the town, which they called Pokémon Square. His favorite Pokémon were the Kecleon Brothers, although he noticed one of them trying to sneak out with some goods behind his brother's back. Pikachu then led Samir past Tiny Woods and to a jutting mountain peak. The sign, "Mt. Steel", explained the natural landmark.

"Now then," Pikachu began, reading a scroll of parchment. "We need to save a Diglett who's been trapped by a Skarmory on top of Mt. Steel."

"Can you tell me what a Skarmory looks like?" Samir nervously asked. "I've never seen one before."

His partner became slightly annoyed. "You'll see when we get there."

As Samir tried to think about what the Pokémon looked like, Pikachu began to head inside the cave entrance. Samir caught up with him, and they wandered through the mountain.

"So, you're still a human in the other world, huh?" Pikachu asked as they climbed together. "Been a while since that happened."

Samir was shocked. "Really? I'm not the first?"

Pikachu hesitated but nodded. "Yeah…it's been three years since that incident. The one that almost caused our world to collapse."

"I see. What happened then?" Samir then noticed his partner didn't respond. "Oh, if you don't want to talk about it, that's fine too."

They walked in awkward silence until they saw light at the end of the cave tunnel. As the sun temporarily blinded them when they stepped outside, a loud shriek echoed through the rocks. When Samir's eyes adjusted, he looked around and saw the Diglett being intimidated by a gray bird with metallic wings.

 _So that's a Skarmory… It's so weird to see a new Pokémon when you're not a human, you just somehow know what they are…_

The Armor Bird Pokémon heard footsteps and saw the two intruders. "Halt! Leave my domain!" he cried with a husky voice.

While Samir timidly stood back, Pikachu brushed his tuff and reasoned, "Look Skarmory. We don't want any trouble. Just let the Diglett go and we'll leave."

Skarmory scoffed, "A likely story! This mole was disturbing my peaceful peak with his tunneling! He deserves to be punished!"

The Mole Pokémon shrunk with fear. "P-Please help me…" he whimpered.

Pikachu became upset with the stubborn Steel type. He took off the satchel and placed in on the ground. "How about this? This Chikorita and I challenge you to a battle. The winner gets to decide what to do with the Diglett."

Skarmory scanned us and laughed. "Why not? That Chikorita will hardly do anything!"

 _I'll show you…_ Samir growled inwardly.

The Armor Bird Pokémon gave a sharp cry and dove towards the two. Pikachu and Samir dodged in time, and eyed the Steel type cautiously.

"Take this!" Pikachu shouted, releasing a strong burst of electricity.

Skarmory laughed and spun out the Thunderbolt's range. He then charged at Samir with his beak slowly extending.

Samir braced himself. "Vine powers, activate!" He tried to grab onto the bird, but he kept missing his target. Luckily, he was able to put up a Reflect and took less damage from the Peck.

"Vine powers, activate?" the older Pokémon questioned the newbie's choice of words.

The Chikorita rubbed the back of his head. "Well, it was cool when I said it in my head. Anyway, what should we do?"

Pikachu smirked despite the losing battle. "This Skarmory's tough, but I got an idea. You with me, kid?"

Samir was unsure, but he confidently nodded. "Okay, Pikachu. Tell me what to do."

The Electric type explained, "When I give the signal, use Razor Leaf."

After he accepted the plan, Pikachu shouted, "Get ready, Skarmory! " He launched off the mountain with his legs, and his tail glowed silver.

"How useless!" Skarmory mocked. "I'll show you a Steel type move!"

As his wings glowed silver, Pikachu blocked the wings and shouted, "Samir, now!"

"Right!" Samir shook his neck vigorously and shot razor sharp leaves. Pikachu then grabbed his opponent's wings and threw Skarmory into the leaves, and they slowly cut into the bird's armor.

Skarmory shrieked in pain, but he recovered. "Clever! But not enough!" He smashed his left wing into Pikachu's stomach, and he crashed into the rocks.

Samir was shocked, but Pikachu pulled himself out. The Electric type wiped his mouth and laughed. "I haven't had a tough battle in a long time. Follow my lead, kid!"

Pikachu released several weak jolts of electricity, and Skarmory was able to dodge all of them. Samir saw what his partner was doing and sneakily sent out two vines that circled behind their distracted foe. Before Skarmory could react, the vines wrapped around his wings and threw him to the ground.

As Pikachu readied another Thunderbolt, Skarmory screamed, "I give up! I give up!" He then immediately took off, disappearing from view.

"Good riddance." Pikachu then walked over to the slightly scared Diglett. "You okay, Diglett?"

The Mole Pokémon gratefully smiled at his rescuers. "Th-Thank you so much! You guys are the best!"

Pikachu smiled and gave the young Ground type a soft pat. "No problem, Diglett. Just be careful and stay out of trouble, okay?"

"You got it, sir! Thank you both!" The Diglett then tunneled underground, leaving a trail of overturned earth in his wake.

"Well then," Pikachu stated. "Let's return, shall we?" Samir nodded and the two made their way back to Pikachu's house.

* * *

Cappy frantically ran back inside the Pokémon Center and into his Trainer's room. After some searching in Samir's bag, he found his friends' Pokéballs and immediately opened them. Banksia and Terry yawned and looked around the dark and empty room.

"What's going on, Cappy?" the Meganium groggily asked.

"I-It's S-Samir!" the Pikachu frantically gasped. "H-He's been kidnapped!"

The fully evolved Pokémon were stunned. Banskia immediately grabbed her owner's satchel and placed the Pokédex and earpiece lying on top of the drawer inside.

"Did you see where the kidnapper went?" the Pidgeot asked.

Cappy thought about it and said, "I think they went into the downtown area, but I lost them when some of the feral Meowth chased me away…"

Banksia stood up tall and told her team, "We should split up and see if we can find him. Let's meet back at the Pokémon Center at sunrise."

The three nodded and made their way out of the building and searched the city in the dark night to find their Trainer, hopefully unharmed.

* * *

As Pikachu and Samir were sleeping in the house, a black mass, darker than the night sky, entered and made its way into the Chikorita's ear. Immediately, Samir began to sweat and fidget. His dream became a nightmare, as the black mass became a shadowy figure that chased him endlessly.

"Who are you? Let me alone!" Samir shouted as he tried to outrun it. But it continued to pursue his target until it slowly caught up to the exhausted Chikorita.

Samir screamed and jolted awake, panting hard from the scary event. Once he regained his composure, he looked around the dark room and thought he was back his world. When he stood up, however, he realized he was still on all fours.

 _Something's wrong… Why am I still in the Pokémon world?!_


	5. PMD 4

**Chapter 4: The Foreshadowing**

"That kid's louder than I thought…" the kidnapper whispered angrily. Samir's screaming about being chased by a shadow almost caused campus security to come into the building. Mentor became scared, knowing his master became furious if he made any mistakes.

But the man calmed down and told his Pokémon, "It's not your fault, Mentor. Just make sure your Hypnosis attack is not so obvious. Meanwhile, go to Plan B."

The Hypno nodded and closed his eyes.

* * *

Samir pensively paced around the front yard of Pikachu's house in the early morning hours. _Why couldn't I wake up in my world? Is something blocking me from going back when I want to?_ He stopped and felt something warm touch his face. He looked up and saw the rising sun peeking over the trees near the hut. _I can't think of this right now. I should just see why I'm stuck here._

Pikachu appeared at the doorway and walked up to the worried youngster. "Up already, kid?"

The Chikorita nodded. "Yeah, I had a bad dream so I couldn't sleep much."

The Electric type chuckled. "Nightmares are the worst. Well, just remember they aren't real."

 _Yeah…real…_ "Thanks, Pikachu. I'll remember that."

A large white bird Pokémon with a big yellow beak and blue crest suddenly flew over the two. A letter fell from his beak as he continued his flight towards Tiny Woods.

"Hmm…a letter from the Pelipper Mail Service," Pikachu acknowledged as he grabbed the falling piece of paper. He read it and his eyes widened.

"What is it, Pikachu?" Samir asked, curious about what it said.

He crumbled up the note and responded, "Looks like Team A.C.T. is visiting Pokémon Square today. We should go see them."

Before Samir could get an explanation about this rescue team, Pikachu walked towards the square. The human groaned and followed his host to the town. In the courtyard, the villagers marveled at an Alakazam, Charizard, and a green dinosaur-looking Pokémon with fierce eyes. The three rescuers noticed us approaching and the crowd parted to let us through.

"Ah, Pikachu," Alakazam greeted with a bow. "Good to see you again." He then noticed Samir. "Is this your new partner?"

Samir intriguingly tilted his head. _New partner?_

Pikachu hesitated but replied, "Yeah, he is."

The three powerful Pokémon bowed, and Alakazam said, "Allow us to introduce ourselves, young Chikorita. My name is Alakazam, the leader of A.C.T. These two are my teammates, Charizard and Tyranitar. We focus on difficult rescue missions and through our diligent efforts, we are one of the few teams to have earned the Gold Rank."

"Nice to meet you all. You can call me Samir."

The Psychic type analyzed the newcomer with his beady eyes but didn't question him.

"What brings you back to Pokémon Square?" Pikachu gruffly asked.

Charizard lightly growled, "We came to talk to you, Pikachu. There's something going on that we need your opinion on."

"You're welcome to join us, Samir," Tyranitar invited.

Pikachu sighed and said, "All right. What about you, kid?"

The Chikorita nodded. "Sure, I'll go with you."

The villagers were disappointed the famous team was leaving, but they happily returned to their daily routines. Team A.C.T. led us to a pond north of the square. It was a serene place, with soft blades of grass along the banks and lily pads bordering the edges of the oval body of water.

There, a dark blue fish with long yellow whiskers welcomed us in a deep voice, "Welcome to my pond, travelers. I see you received my message, Team A.C.T.?"

The three members nodded. "And Pikachu is here as well, along with a new face," the Pokémon continued.

Pikachu smirked. "Nice to see you again, Whiscash. This Chikorita's my new partner."

"So soon, Pikachu?" Whiscash wondered aloud. When he saw the Electric type didn't want to respond, he sadly nodded. "I understand. Anyway, the reason I called you here is because another crisis is occurring in our world."

"Another one?!" Pikachu angrily shouted. "I thought the asteroid was the crisis, and we destroyed it!"

The Water type sadly shook his head. "I'm sorry, Pikachu. I know how hard you and your former partners worked to stop it. But this crisis is much more recent, and more sinister."

"What do you mean, Whiscash?" Charizard inquired.

Whiscash stroked his head with his whiskers. "I've been hearing reports of Pokémon acting strangely, as if they've been possessed by some evil Pokémon."

"There is no such thing as an evil Pokémon!" Alakazam strongly denied.

"I know, but this incident might be the cause of something beyond our world. I fear it will infect our town and region before any of us know it."

Charizard and Tyranitar looked at the entrance and were shocked. "M-Maybe it's already started…" they both murmured.

Everyone looked up and to their horror, all of the Pokémon Square residents slowly marched towards them, their eyes blank and their faces with eerie grins. They creepily repeated the words, "Take him… Take him…"

Team A.C.T. immediately placed themselves in front of Samir and Pikachu. "Samir, Pikachu!" Alakazam ordered. "Quick, find Ninetales! She may know how to stop this!"

"But what about you four?! I can't let you do this!" Pikachu protested.

The three dodged a Razor Leaf, and Charizard continued, "There's no time for a new strategy! Hurry!"

Pikachu gritted his teeth. "Kid! Come with me!"

"Good luck you two…" Whiscash cautioned, then quickly dove into his lake.

The two Pokémon nodded and fled by jumping over the possessed citizens and ran off to the nearest mountain. Although Pikachu seemed to know where he was going, Samir was unsure of what awaited them.

* * *

"Any luck?" Cappy asked when the three regrouped in front of the Pokémon Center.

Unfortunately, his two friends shook their heads.

"I don't know what else to do…" Cappy sadly moaned, almost about to cry.

Banksia comforted the Pikachu with a Vine Whip. "Don't worry, Cappy. We'll find him."

Terry then held a faint scream coming from a college campus. "Guys, I heard something! It might be crazy, but I think it's Samir's voice!"

The two were shocked, but they trusted the Pidgeot. "Okay, Terry. Lead the way!" Banksia ordered.

He nodded and took off, with Cappy and Banksia following close behind. Cappy made sure their Trainer's Pokédex and earpiece didn't fall out of the bag. Once they found someone who could help them, the translation app was their only hope.


	6. PMD 5

**Chapter 5: A Possibility**

"Wh-Where are we going, Pikachu?" Samir gasped as they ran through a cave with blue crystals and rocks. They'd been running for what felt like hours, away from the hypnotized villagers of Pokémon Square.

Pikachu didn't look back at his partner but firmly responded, "We need to get to Mt. Freeze; that's where Ninetales lives. Going through Lapis Cave is the fastest way to get there."

"Who is she anyway?" the Chikorita asked as he defeated a Bagon with Razor Leaf.

"I'll tell you when we find a safe place."

Samir sighed but continued following Pikachu through the narrow tunnels of the cave. _Is this the reason why I'm stuck here? To help the Pokémon world free itself from this mysterious power?_

Once they saw sunlight at the end of the cave, the two ran out and found themselves on a cliff-side path. A tall mountain that was glowing orange was the next point. They cautiously walked on the rocks, knowing that if they fell off, they wouldn't survive. After an hour, Pikachu noticed Samir was getting exhausted and found a small gap in a tall pile of rocks. He motioned his partner inside and took out several Oran Berries from the bag.

As they ate, Pikachu continued his explanation. "Ninetales is the one of the oldest Pokémon in the Pokémon world. She remembers everything that happened since she was born, including all incidents and disasters. She's also very wise, so she usually has ideas about how to end them."

"But how do you know her?" Samir curiously asked.

Pikachu hesitated. "I guess you deserve to know, Samir. You're here for a reason, and it's best if you know what happened three years ago. It started when-"

Samir then felt a very powerful presence. He cautiously requested, "Could we wait, Pikachu? I sense a Pokémon's coming…"

The Electric type was confused. "Really? I don't hear anything…"

Samir couldn't explain it, but he somehow felt the rocks shake when they physically weren't. Suddenly, the ground trembled, and a sharp cry vibrated through the boulders.

"Wh-What was that?!" Pikachu questioned.

"PIKACHU AND SAMIR!" a loud, crackling voice answered, making the rocks slightly shake. "I KNOW YOU ARE HERE! SURRENDER AND I WILL NOT HARM YOU!"

 _That voice! It can't be…_ Samir was about to peek outside when Pikachu stopped him.

"What are you doing, Samir?!" he hissed. "Whoever it is, they're going to kill us!"

Samir summoned up his courage and responded to his cautious partner. "Look, this may sound crazy, but I know who that is!"

Pikachu was bewildered by the normally mild Pokémon but he nodded. "Okay, I'll go with you. If they attack, I got your back."

Samir nodded in thanks and the two slowly walked outside. What awaited them was none other than the Legendary Bird, Zapdos.

* * *

Banksia, Terry, and Cappy frantically explored the Saffron University campus. They felt they were on the right track, but only one of them had a vague memory of the property. After scanning the property for almost an hour, they took a rest in front of a marble Kingdra fountain at the center of campus.

"Do you remember where you and Samir entered, Cappy?" Banksia calmly asked.

The Pikachu took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "Hmm… I remember a white building…"

"They're all white," Terry bluntly pointed out.

"Hush, Terry!" Banksia hissed. "Cappy's not done yet!"

Cappy glanced at all of the buildings' signs and remembered something. "I think the building's called 'The College of Social Sciences'!"

The Pikachu led the worried Pokémon through the campus to the College of Social Sciences located at the east side of the university. After they ran inside the building, they were confronted by several students wearing lab coats.

"Look! A Meganium, Pidgeot, and Pikachu!" a girl exclaimed.

"I need that Grass type for a healing experiment!" a boy enthusiastically screamed.

Two more voices added to the confusion.

"That Pidgeot would be great for my wind energy research!"

"A Pikachu! Just one more, and my electricity gathering experiment will be complete!"

"Uh… I don't like how this is going…" Cappy said as the three faced the crazy student researchers.

Banksia looked around and whispered, "Terry, can you help me make a distraction?"

The Pidgeot glanced at her and smirked. "No problem."

"Cappy," she continued. "Get the Pokédex and earpiece, and go find whoever Samir talked to. We'll catch up."

The Pikachu hesitated, but he did as he was told and ran towards the stairs.

"No, my Pikachu!"

Banksia and Terry prepared for the worst. Hopefully, Cappy will accomplish the first task to find their beloved Trainer.

* * *

"SO!" Zapdos roared. "YOU MUST BE EITHER BRAVE, OR FOOLISH, TO SHOW YOURSELVES TO ME!"

The Legendary Pokémon almost knocked over the smaller Pokémon with a simple flap of his wings. While Pikachu was astounded by their opponent's strength, Samir slightly walked forward. He noticed Zapdos' eyes were hollow, like the Pokémon back at the square.

"Zapdos!" the Chikorita yelled, slightly startling the bird. "This isn't like you! Snap out of it!"

The Legendary seemed to recognize the speaker, but his eyes continued to be blank. "I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT! IF YOU RESIST, I WILL DESTROY YOU!"

"Samir!" Pikachu warned. "Zapdos is not in the right state of mind! It looks like we have to battle him in order to protect ourselves. If we defeat him, maybe we can also break whoever's controlling him!"

Samir firmly nodded. "All right, Pikachu. We definitely need answers! I might not be as useful, but I'll support you!"

After Pikachu grinned, Zapdos roared, "SO BE IT! PREPARE TO LOSE!" He unleashed a powerful Thunderbolt that caused several boulders to fall from the cliffs.

Samir immediately set up a Reflect as Pikachu leaped up and destroyed the larger boulders with Iron Tail. Smaller boulders that hit the pink shield shrunk, causing minimal damage to the Chikorita.

Zapdos scoffed at their defensive strategy and charged at Samir, stabbing him with his beak. Samir gasped in pain from the super effective attack and started to breathe heavily.

Pikachu angrily growled and used Quick Attack on Zapdos' back. The Legendary was so surprised by the smaller one's speed and power that he crashed onto a nearby boulder. Taking advantage of the break, Samir took a deep breath and used Synthesis to recover most of his energy.

Zapdos stood up and shouted, "SO, THIS WILL BE MORE INTERESTING AFTER ALL. I DON'T NEED MY FLIGHT ADVANTAGE TO WIN!"

Pikachu and Samir braced themselves for Zapdos' next move. Zapdos flapped his wings, and another Thunderbolt shot towards them. This time, Pikachu anchored himself to the ground with Iron Tail and allowed the Electric attack to course harmlessly through his body and into the soil.

"Pikachu, follow my lead!" Samir shouted as he released a flurry of green leaves.

His partner understood the Chikorita's plan and increased the Razor Leaf's power with Thunderbolt. This resulted in improvised electric ninja stars, striking every part of Zapdos' body. The Legendary stumbled, but he recovered and charged at the two with silver wings. The speed and power was so great that both Pokémon slammed into the outside wall of Lapis Cave.

As Samir and Pikachu freed themselves from the rocks, they collapsed in pain. The Reflect barely made any defensive difference and slowly faded away.

"P-Pikachu…" Samir whispered as he slowly stood up. "Are you all right?"

Pikachu didn't respond, but he was breathing softly.

Zapdos triumphantly marched over two the weakened Pokémon. "YOU FOUGHT WELL, BUT IT'S OVER."

"No!" Samir yelled as he painfully stepped in between Electric types. "I-I won't let you hurt him anymore!"

"STAND DOWN, CHIKORITA. YOU ARE NOT MY TARGET!"

 _Wait, so he's not after me, but Pikachu?_

"YOUR REFUSAL UPSETS ME! YOU WILL PERISH FOR BEING AN OBSTACLE! PREPARE TO FEEL MY WRATH!"

Zapdos flew towards Samir with great force, but the Chikorita stood firm and used Vine Whip to try and slow down his opponent. Although the vines successfully wrapped around each of the wings, Zapdos' strength was able to push forward and spin around. Samir immediately let go, watched in shock as he was hit by a super effective Drill Peck, and slammed back into the rocky wall. This time, he didn't have enough power to break free.

"NOW THEN," Zapdos continued as he moved his beak closer to the still unconscious Pokémon. "TIME TO BRING HIM TO MY MASTER!"

"NO!" Samir screamed. He wriggled out of the wall the last bit of his strength and ran towards Zapdos. He winced in pain but used Vine Whip to increase his speed. The Legendary watched with surprise as the dainty Chikorita slammed into him, causing him to skid back.

"THAT'S IT! YOU'RE GOING DOWN, WEAKLING!" Zapdos yelled after he recovered.

He flew at Samir once more, but this time, Samir was too tired to attack. The only thing he could do was raise his left leg in front of his head to protect himself. All of a sudden, Samir's watch sparkled and released a strong yellow light. The force of the light pushed Zapdos back and knocked him out while Pikachu stirred.

"Wh-What happened?" Pikachu muttered as he got up. He was shocked to see Zapdos on the ground and Samir slowly lowering his leg.

"I-I think it was my watch…" Samir analyzed.

Zapdos stood up, and Pikachu immediately made a battle pose. Samir noticed something different and held his partner back.

The Legendary blinked and looked around, confused. "WHERE AM I?" He then noticed the two small Pokémon and curiously asked, "WHO ARE YOU TWO?"

Samir responded, "I'm Samir, and this is my partner, Pikachu."

Realization flashed in Zapdos' eyes. "I-IT CAN'T BE, BUT IT'S YOU!" He knelt to the Chikorita. "IT IS AN HONOR TO MEET YOU, LEGEND GUARDIAN! "

"Wait…you know who I am?" Samir asked, astonished. Pikachu was just as puzzled.

Zapdos nodded. "YES. I HAVE HEARD STORIES ABOUT THEM FROM THE GUARDIAN OF THE SEA, WHO HAS VISITED THE HUMAN WORLD BEFORE. BUT HOW ARE YOU HERE?"

"What's a Legend Guardian?" Pikachu asked.

Samir sheepishly grinned. "I'll tell you later, Pikachu." He then turned to Zapdos. "What happened to you? Please tell me what you know."

Zapdos cocked his head slightly. "I BELIEVE I WAS FLYING AROUND MT. THUNDER WHEN I WAS SUCCUMBED BY A STRONG PSYCHIC POWER. BEFORE I KNEW IT, I BELIEVE I WAS HYPNOTIZED AND FORCED TO FOLLOW THE POWER'S ORDERS."

"And what were they?"

"TO FIND A PIKACHU WHO TRAVELS WITH A CHIKORITA AND TAKE HIM TO WISH CAVE."

Pikachu was stunned and muttered, "I-It can't be…"

"What is it, Pikachu?" Samir asked. Instead of an answer, the Electric type ran off. Samir then felt a soft breeze touch his face, but that didn't make him feel better.

Zapdos closed his eyes, then quickly opened them. "I CANNOT GET IN CONTACT WITH MOLTRES AND ARTICUNO. SAMIR, WHAT SHOULD I DO?"

The Chikorita looked at Zapdos carefully. "Zapdos, lay low for awhile. If you were affected, I'm sure Moltres and Articuno are too. We'll free them, and when we do, go to Wish Cave and see what's going on." He then ran after Pikachu, worried about his behavior.

Zapdos nodded. "GOOD LUCK, SAMIR."

As Samir continued running, he thought, _I hope Pikachu's okay… What on earth got him so upset?!_


	7. PMD 6

**Chapter 6: The Blistering Heat**

"Where's that door?!" Cappy yelled in frustration as he ran around the second floor of the College of Social Sciences. He was trying to find the door that he and Samir went through, but he couldn't read any of the words on the doors. Suddenly, a familiar person appeared from a break area.

"Hey, aren't you Samir's Pikachu, Cappy?" Fennel curiously asked.

The Pokémon stopped and ran to the researcher. He waved his arms frantically and cried, "Help us, Fennel!"

She was confused by his actions. "What are you trying to say Cappy? And what's that thing on your ear?"

He glanced at his left ear and saw the earpiece. "Oh, yeah, I forgot about that…" He took off the device and handed it to Fennel.

"An earpiece?" She then looked at Cappy, who was motioning her to put it on. A little curious, she put it on her left ear.

"Can you hear me now?" Cappy calmly asked.

Fennel screamed and fell backwards onto the slick floor. She placed her left hand on her chest and breathed heavily. She stuttered, "I-I don't believe it! I can understand you?!"

"Yeah, but that's not important now!" Cappy shouted, trying to keep her focused. "Samir's in trouble, and we think that he's somewhere in the building!"

"In here? But wait, what do you mean 'we'?"

Footsteps stomped towards them. "Cappy, did you find him yet?" Banksia asked as she and Terry approached.

This time, Fennel didn't panic but it still shocked her. "This is such amazing technology!"

The two Pokémon noticed Fennel was wearing the earpiece. "Sorry, we haven't met," Banksia apologized. "My name's Banksia, and this is Terry. We're Samir's other Pokémon."

Fennel got up and smiled. "Nice to meet you two." Her face then turned serious. "I heard what happened from Cappy. I haven't seen him, but for some reason, Dr. Mustard's in his office already. He never comes so early…"

Cappy's face turned pale. "Does Dr. Mustard have something to do with this?"

The researcher was unsure, but she knew what they have to do. "Let's go see."

* * *

"Pikachu, wait!" Samir shouted as he ran after his upset partner. _What's wrong with him? Did Zapdos' thoughts upset him?_

When he finally caught up to Pikachu, who was sitting on a large black rock, the Chikorita began to sweat. "Is it me, or is it really hot here?"

Pikachu looked to his left and saw Samir. He wasn't sweating as much, but beads of water fell down his cheeks. "No, this area has a volcano nearby, Mt. Blaze. Plus, you're a Grass type, so the heat will affect you more."

Samir wiped off the sweat from his forehead with his vines. He tried to smile at the Electric type, but it only seemed discourage him. "Anyway, what happened to you, Pikachu? You were really upset about what Zapdos said."

The older Pokémon sighed. "I didn't want anyone else to know about my past. I thought that after three years, I wouldn't have to worry about it again. But things have changed. You're here, kid. And a new threat to our world." He looked at the volcano. "I'll tell you my story as we climb up Mt. Blaze."

Samir reluctantly nodded and followed Pikachu through a cave opening. As they battled their way through waves of Slugma, Numel, and Torkoal, Pikachu told his story.

"You see, I was also a human when I entered the Pokémon world three years ago."

"Y-You too?" Samir shouted, shocked. "But you act more like a Pikachu than a kid…"

Pikachu smirked. "Well, living here for a long time does that to you. I don't remember much of my human life, or my family and friends. I don't even remember my human name. But because of my appearance, everyone just calls me Pikachu. That's worth something. I made new friends here…especially the one who helped me from the very beginning."

"Your earlier partner?"

"…Yes. He was a Torchic, very bright and energetic. He found me when I woke up in this world and even allowed me to stay in his home. We even converted his house to suit my needs, despite my hesitations. When Pokémon accused me of causing the threats of Pokémon becoming more aggressive and reoccurring earthquakes, Torchic and Team A.C.T. were the only ones who believed I was innocent."

The Chikorita's eyes grew wide. _Wow, this is crazy! Who knew he was a human before?_

Samir was eager to hear more when they saw some light filtering through another cave. Pikachu ended the story and they exited Mt. Blaze. They walked through a plateau made of cooled lava rocks, which was next to bubbling pool of hot magma.

Suddenly, a loud, fiery cry echoed through the mountain, "FINALLY! YOU TWO HAVE ARRIVED!"

The two Pokémon cautiously looked at the sky and saw a yellow and orange bird flying towards them. As the stranger landed, her wings released several embers as she placed them to her sides.

"It's Moltres!" Samir shouted. He saw her eyes were the same as Zapdos' before he was freed from the hypnosis.

"SAMIR AND PIKACHU! HOW DARE YOU WASTE MY TIME?!" the Legendary Bird roared in anger. "I MUST DELIVER THAT MOUSE TO MY MASTER!"

Samir and Pikachu bent down into their battle poses. "We won't let you take us without a fight!" Pikachu protested. "Moltres, we'll free you from your hypnosis!"

The Fire type laughed. "HOW QUAINT. SAMIR HAS AN OBVIOUS DISADVANTAGE, BUT I WELCOME YOUR DETERMINATION TO RESIST. IT'LL MAKE IT MORE SATISFYING TO DEFEAT YOU!"

Moltres then took to the air and dove at them with her wings outstretched. Pikachu leaped out of the way while Samir used his vines to push himself upwards. It then gave the Chikorita enough time to set up a Reflect. However, it was useless as the Legendary took a deep breath and unleashed a swirling coil of fire at him.

"Kid, watch out!" Pikachu warned as he pushed the Grass type out of the way.

Samir fell to the ground but avoided the flames. Pikachu, on the other hand, had his tail singed by the Fire Spin. The Electric type winced in pain but brushed it off.

"Pikachu, what should we do?" Samir asked. "You're the only one who has the type advantage."

Pikachu analyzed their opponent. "Kid, make the distraction. Then, I'll attack from above."

Samir nodded and unleashed a Razor Leaf at Moltres. The Legendary easily batted the leaves away with her wings, causing them to burn and disintegrate. He didn't give up and continued to attack, distracting her long enough for Pikachu to leap over Samir and paralyze the Fire type with a Thunder Wave.

"CUTE TRICK," she said mockingly. "BUT IT'LL TAKE MORE THAN PARALYSIS TO BEAT ME!"

Pikachu smirked. "Oh, that's just the beginning."

He then released a Thunderbolt, causing major damage to Moltres. She began to breathe heavily but vigorously flapped her wings, showing off her remaining strength. She then charged at Pikachu and knocked him into the plateau with a furious Wing Attack. As he freed himself from the rocks, she picked him up with her beak and flew over the boiling lava near the plateau.

"YOUR WILL IS TRULY STRONG," she acknowledged. "BUT NOW, IF YOU SURRENDER I WON'T DROP YOU IN THE NICE WARM LAVA. HOW DOES THAT SOUND?"

Pikachu struggled and retorted, "I'll never give up! Or go to Wish Cave willingly!"

"SUIT YOURSELF…" She then dropped Pikachu, and he fell towards the fiery liquid.

Samir was angry at the turn of events and suddenly felt a strong power building inside. He had to save Pikachu, not because he was forced into this incident, but because they were friends.

"PIKACHU!" he cried. Suddenly, his watch began to glow purple. With all of his might, Samir created five boulders surrounded with purple energy. Moltres was shocked as the Chikorita used Ancientpower to jump over the lava and rescue Pikachu with his vines.

When he and Pikachu returned to the plateau, Moltres began talking to herself. "H-HOW CAN THIS BE?! A MERE CHIKORITA THAT KNOWS ANCIENTPOWER?! THAT'S UNHEARD OF!"

She then touched her head in pain. Her eyes briefly turned brown. "SAMIR AND PIKACHU, QUICK! DEFEAT ME!" she pleaded. Her expression became blank again as she charged at the two.

"You heard her, Pikachu!" Samir acknowledged as he charged up another Ancientpower.

Pikachu smiled. "All right, kid! Let's show her!"

The two Pokémon aimed their attacks at the Legendary and fired the boulders and a Thunderbolt. Unable to avoid the two super effective attacks, she succumbed to their power, soft smiling as she collapsed on the plateau.

"Moltres," Samir asked in between pants. "are…you…okay…?"

A few minutes of silence. Then she opened her eyes, the color returning to them, and slowly rose. "YES. THANK YOU, SAMIR AND PIKACHU."

The Electric type nodded. "I'm glad you returned to normal, Moltres."

She nodded back, then looked towards a mountain to the north. "I HAVE JUST RECEIVED ALL OF ZAPDOS' MESSAGES. I WORRY ARTICUNO MAY HAVE BEEN AFFECTED LIKE ME AND ZAPDOS. CAN YOU CHECK ON HER?"

"Of course, Moltres," Samir offered.

"I MUST NOW MEET WITH ZAPDOS. PLEASE LET US KNOW IF WE CAN HELP ONCE ARTICUNO IS FREED, GUARDIAN. "

"I will. Be careful."

The Fire type smiled and took off towards the east. After watching her disappear behind the sunset, Pikachu picked up the satchel.

"We should head over to Frosty Grotto before it gets too dark. I'll finish my story then."

Samir nodded and followed Pikachu, who was trying to hide the fearful look in his eyes. _I hope Pikachu's okay… He's taking all of this hard, especially with the almost dying part._

As the two headed to a colder area of the region, a Pokémon with white fur and a black sickle on her head spied on them. "It's been a while, Pikachu," she muttered to herself. "I believe it's now time for a team reunion."


	8. PMD 7

**Chapter 7- The Bitter Cold**

"First the heat, now the cold…" Samir angrily muttered. Being a Chikorita was much tougher than he thought. Who knew typing made such a difference?

At least it was lightly snowing on the path and not hailing. Pikachu looked around the trees and saw a cavity in one of the largest trees. With the sky slowly turning dark, they quickly made their way there and set up camp within the dark wood. Sitting in front of a small fire Pikachu started, Samir saw his partner's worn out face.

"Are you okay, Pikachu?" he asked. "We'd been through a lot today."

"Yes we have," he stated. He then sighed sadly. "Sorry I dragged you into this, kid. You're going through the same experiences I had when during my first adventure."

"No, it's fine!" Samir objected, shaking his head firmly. "I think without my help, Zapdos and Moltres wouldn't have broken free from their hypnosis."

The older Pokémon chuckled, then nodded. "True. I guess you deserve to hear the rest of my story."

"May I join the conversation, Pikachu?" a beautiful female voice echoed through the forest.

The two looked in front of them and saw a tall four-legged Pokémon with white fur and a black sickle on her head walking towards them. Samir thought Pikachu would be suspicious, but he chuckled again and replied, "Of course, Absol. How long's it been since we last met?"

She softly smiled. "I'd say maybe two years ago, when you decided to become a solo rescuer. But who is this Chikorita with you?"

Pikachu looked at him. "Oh, this is Samir. He's a human, like me. He appeared in the Pokémon world not too long ago."

She courteously bowed. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Samir."

The Chikorita returned the gesture. "Likewise. Did you travel with Pikachu and Torchic back then?"

She softly sat down on the fresh snow on Samir's left. "Yes. It was when they were chased off by the townspeople for that prophecy. When I saw them traveling through the snow on Frosty Path, tired but undaunted, I understood how they felt, being rejected for something you have no control over. I offered my help to lead them through Frosty Forest and Mt. Freeze, even when that Team A.C.T. attacked us to cause Ninetales to appear."

"So you were there when the asteroid hurled towards the earth?" Samir curiously asked.

She sadly nodded. "Yes, and that was the last time we saw Torchic. The three of us climbed up Sky Tower to see Rayquaza, the Legendary Pokémon of the skies, and request his aid in destroying the asteroid. We succeeded in convincing him, but we were close to the impact. There was a blinding light, then when Pikachu and I woke, we were at the Great Canyon, many miles downward of the tower. But to our shock, Torchic was nowhere near us, so we do not know if he is alive or dead…"

"I think that's enough, Absol," Pikachu bitterly interrupted, looking at the white powder.

She solemnly nodded. "I apologize if it brought bad memories again, Pikachu."

The Mouse Pokémon took a deep breath and looked at his team. "No need to be sorry, Absol. When Zapdos mentioned his orders, it jogged a memory of someone from my time as a human. But that person escapes me. I made the choice to stay in the Pokémon world to find him, and I think I'm close."

Her eyes perked up. "Really?"

"You mean," Samir concluded. "the hypnotized Pokémon and the orders to drag you to Wish Cave are part of this?"

Absol closed her eyes. "I was afraid of this. I sensed another danger approaching, but I didn't expect it would involve you again."

Pikachu chuckled. "We've always seem to run into it head on. But it's never stopped us before. Besides, if someone wants me to go back to the human world sooner than I would like, then I have to find Torchic as soon as possible." He then became serious. "Absol, will you guide us to Articuno's resting place?"

"Frosty Grotto? Of course, but we should get some rest. By the looks of it, you two must be worn out."

Samir nodded. "Yeah, we've been through a lot."

Pikachu and Absol extinguished the fire and the three clustered inside the hollow trunk. Samir drifted off to sleep as he watched the snow fall gently onto the ground, hoping the last Legendary Bird was safe.

* * *

Samir's kidnapper angrily paced around the brainwave device as Mentor kept the boy under control. "How long does it take to bring one Pokémon to a simple cave?!" he yelled in frustration.

The Psychic type sighed, knowing his Trainer was impatient when things didn't go his way. Suddenly both heard a knock at the door.

"Dr. Mustard?" Fennel asked. "Are you in there?"

"Quick!" the kidnapper hissed. As he ran into the office space to change clothes and brush his hair, Mentor telepathically closed the lab door. Once the man was dressed, he walked towards his office door and opened it.

Her smiling face made him less nervous. "There you are, Dr. Mustard! I was worried for a bit. I tried contacting you earlier."

He chuckled. "Ah, I'm sorry. I was quite busy this morning. Please come in."

She walked in like she normally did and motioned the three Pokémon outside to do the same. However, Cappy was frozen with fear.

"What is it, Cappy?" Fennel gently asked.

Dr. Mustard immediately recognized the Pikachu and tried to hide his nervousness.

"Th-That man…" Cappy stuttered. "H-He's the one who took Samir!"

The female researcher gasped. "What? That can't be right."

"What's not right, Ms. Fennel?" the doctor feigned curiosity.

Fennel anxiously smiled. "Oh, nothing. Cappy's just worried, that's all. Has Samir come in yet? I didn't find him at the Pokémon Center."

"Oh? I have not." Dr. Mustard then observed Fennel's left ear. "Where did you get that earpiece, Ms. Fennel?"

"O-Oh! This?!" She chuckled awkwardly. "I-I found it outside! I was planning to turn it in to the lost and found at the main office."

He then placed his hands into his pockets. "Ms. Fennel. I know you're not a good liar. Now tell me the truth…where did you get that earpiece?!"

"Come on, Fennel!" Cappy frantically yelled. "We have to get out of here!"

Suddenly, the door slammed and locked by itself, leaving Fennel with Dr. Mustard.

"Fennel!" Banksia yelled, knocking on the door with her vine. "Don't worry, we'll break it down!"

"Professor…" the woman hesitantly asked. "don't tell me you're doing this with Samir…"

"Ms. Fennel, I'm sorry, but I can't have you interfere."

He then motioned to Mentor, who appeared from the adjacent room and hypnotized his master's student. As the Psychic type carried Fennel to where Samir was, Dr. Mustard stroked his mustache to calm himself down. _Remember, this is all for Lucas…_

* * *

After a several hours trek through Frosty Forest, Samir, Pikachu, and Absol found Frosty Grotto, the resting place for Articuno. They stood together to allow Samir warmth in the freezing weather. When they entered a glade covered in frozen raindrops, Samir marveled at the sight but Absol was extremely cautious.

"How strange," she noted. "It's too quiet here. Usually Articuno sings to the forest around this time… And it's much warmer than usual."

Suddenly, a roar echoed through the grotto, causing the raindrops to shatter. The three Pokémon formed a triangle with their backs touching, trying to figure out the source of the sound. Then, Charizard from Team A.C.T. appeared, his eyes blank.

"Now! To take Pikachu!" he growled in a monotone voice.


	9. PMD 8

**Chapter 8- The Cause**

Charizard lunged at the three Pokémon, who narrowly dodged his powerful wings.

"Charizard!" Pikachu called out, worried for his friend. "Stop this! It's not you!"

The Flame Pokémon ignored his friend's words and spun back towards his supposed enemies. As he unleashed a powerful Flamethrower, a light blue barrier suddenly appeared around them. The Fire attack slammed into it, but the flames couldn't pierce through. Stunned at the turn of events, Samir looked behind them. Alakazam and Tyranitar dashed towards them, with the latter lagging far behind. The Psi Pokémon then forced his hypnotized teammate into the snow with his Confusion attack, causing Charizard to roar in resistance. He tried to attack his leader once more with Flamethrower, but Alakazam teleported out of the way and continued to push him down until the Fire type collapsed from exhaustion.

"Thank goodness we made it just in time," Alakazam said with relief.

Once he caught up, Tyranitar panted and added, "Yeah…! Please don't make me run again, Alakazam..."

The Psychic type hissed, "I told you! I can't lift you up because you're a Dark type."

"Uhh…" Pikachu interrupted. "Can you tell us what's going on?!"

The two non-hypnotized members of Team A.C.T. sheepishly looked at Samir, Pikachu, and Absol. "I apologize, Pikachu," Alakazam said. "Oh, and you are here too, Absol. It has been far too long."

She bowed to the legendary rescue team. "What an honor to see you again, Alakazam and Tyranitar."

Alakazam explained, "Now let me see… After you and Samir fled Pokémon Square, we were able to defeat the townsfolk, who immediately returned to their senses. That was when we decided to follow your footsteps to help you find Ninetales. However, we were ambushed by a dark shadow along Mt. Blaze. It hypnotized us, however, only Charizard was affected. Our friend began to talk in the same tone as the villagers and flew off looking for you. We had to chase him down before he hurts any of you."

"But I don't get it, Alakazam…" Samir asked, confused. "How come you and Tyranitar aren't hypnotized?"

Tyranitar looked at his leader. "Samir has a good point, Alakazam. How come we haven't been hypnotized?"

The Psychic type pondered this unusual circumstance. "It might be because of our typing."

"You mean the Psychic and Dark typing?" Samir asked.

"I believe so. So maybe this shadow that is attacking the Pokémon is a Psychic type."

"But Hypnosis is a Psychic type move, right?"

Alakazam nodded but added, "Some of the moves you know in the human world have different effects in this world, Samir. For instance, the strength of a Hypnosis attack is based on the user's typing, the typing of the affected Pokémon and any moves that the affected Pokémon has."

"So if I'm getting this right…" Samir surmised. "That means Absol and I would have a resistance to the Hypnosis attack since I know Reflect, a Psychic type move, and she's a Dark type, correct?"

"That's exactly right."

Pikachu stated, "Then maybe we have a chance of finding out the identity of this shadow…"

A groan echoed in the grotto as Charizard slowly woke up. "Wh-What happened?"

"Thank goodness you returned to your senses, Charizard," Alakazam sighed in relief.

The Fire type was a little confused, but said, "Wait a minute, Alakazam! I remembered seeing something before I was hypnotized." He then noticed the trio looking curiously at him. "Good, you three are here too. It's best to tell everyone involved."

"So what is it, Charizard?" Tyranitar asked, dying to know what his friend saw.

He closed his eyes, allowing his mind to focus on the last moments before his hypnosis. "I…I saw a silver pendulum. It was swinging back and forth, causing me to fall under a mysterious voice's commands. It told me to find Pikachu and bring him to Wish Cave. Then, I saw a yellow Pokémon with pointed ears and a small snout with a white ruff around his neck. And that's all I remember."

Pikachu bitterly looked at the snow. "I can't believe it…" He then looked at his friends, his eyes fearful once they knew the truth. "I remembered something new about my human life. I know who that Pokémon is. It's my grandpa's Hypno, Mentor."

"Mentor?!" Samir shouted, shocked at the name. Another strong wind blew through the frozen trees. "That's the name of kidnapper's Hypno I met back in the human world!"

Pikachu was stunned. "My grandpa, Dr. Mustard, kidnapped you, Samir?!"

"Who is this Dr. Mustard character?" Alakazam asked, unnerved by the young Pokémon's reactions.

Pikachu was hesitant but explained, "He's…he's my grandfather and a researcher in the Pokémon mind. He was always interested in what Pokémon are thinking and how to interpret them. He's been my guardian after my parents passed away. The last time I saw him was three years ago, before I entered the Pokémon world. It was my tenth birthday, and he gave me a storybook he wrote himself. It was about talking Pokémon who traveled around in a world without humans. I enjoyed it so much, I wished I could be there, a Pokémon traveling the world. The next thing I know, when I went to bed and woke up, I was here."

"I believe your desire to live here and the crisis that happened three years ago propelled you to enter our world, Pikachu," Alakazam analyzed.

Pikachu sadly nodded. "Yeah… but I think I was selfish coming here. Grandpa wanted my opinion on the book, but I never got the chance to tell him. I think he's worried about me, and I do want to see him again. But I need to find Torchic and tell him I have to go back."

"I see," Alakazam decided. "But find Articuno first. Let us continue to Mt. Freeze."

The five Pokémon nodded firmly and briskly left Frosty Grotto. Meanwhile, a Pokémon was watching them from the shadows. "I didn't know he left so much back home… I need to help him with this. Our last mission together…"

* * *

Banksia slammed into Dr. Mustard's office door, trying to break it open. "This door's much tougher than I thought!" she exasperatedly yelled.

"Don't give up!" Cappy encouraged as she slammed into the door again.

Terry sensed someone approaching to their right and looked in that direction. "Guys, someone's coming."

They all turned, saw the Hypno slowly approaching them, and immediately became suspicious. But the Psychic type was not poised to attack the intruders.

"Please, Pokémon of Samir, I need your help," he slowly said, diffusing the situation.

"Why, Mentor?" Cappy asked. "I thought you support Dr. Mustard's plans."

The Hypnosis Pokémon sighed. "I'm afraid my master has become out of control. Please, help me save him from his melancholy state!"


	10. PMD 9

**Chapter 9- The Cure**

"What do you mean he's in a melancholy state?" Banksia asked the worried Hypno.

Mentor sadly looked at the tiled floor. "My master…his grandson, Lucas, has been in a coma. For three years…"

"Three years?!" Cappy exclaimed. "That's a really long time for someone to be sleeping."

"Yes. And today is the last day the hospital will allow Lucas to stay. After that…I cannot fathom it… Lucas is the only family Master has left. I worry what his mental state would be if his grandson is gone forever…"

Samir's Pokémon looked at each other and nodded firmly.

"Okay," Banksia said, representing her team. "How can we help?"

* * *

 _IT'S SO COLD UP HERE!_ Samir shouted in his head as he, Pikachu, Absol, and Team A.C.T. trekked through Mt. Freeze. Although battling the Pineco, Swablu, and Seel in the mountain kept him moving, he was still freezing on the inside.

Absol sensed their surroundings carefully as she lead everyone. "We are almost to the peak. Hopefully, Ninetales has not been affected."

"I doubt it," Alakazam politely objected. "After all, she has developed psychic powers due to her old age."

"True," Pikachu said. "But hopefully we'll find Articuno there too."

After several hours, the six reached the top of the mountain, where a large cave covered in ice towered over them. Suddenly, a faint female cry came from the cave.

"Ninetales!" Alakazam frantically shouted and teleported inside.

The rest of group ran after the leader of Team A.C.T. and were greeted by an appalling sight. Articuno, her eyes filled with blank emotion, stood over a weakened fox Pokémon with beautiful white fur and nine gorgeously long tails. Ninetales tried to rise, but her injuries forced her to lie on the cold floor. Alakazam began to tend to her wounds when the Legendary Pokémon turned around and flapped her wings, releasing a cold flurry of snow that furiously blew within the cave walls. Tyranitar and Charizard immediately stood in front of Pikachu, Samir, and Absol, shielding them from the powerful Blizzard attack.

"SO YOU FINALLY ARRIVED. TOOK YOU LONG ENOUGH. NOW, GIVE ME THAT PIKACHU!" the Legendary Ice type shrieked.

The fully evolved Pokémon refused to budge, but Pikachu walked forward with a sense of tiredness and determination.

"Pikachu! What are you doing?" Samir concernedly asked. Ninetales and Alakazam looked up and were shocked by Pikachu's daring actions.

The Electric type looked at the six confused Pokémon. "Look, I can't see you get hurt because of me. Both three years ago and now." He then glared at Articuno. "Articuno, I'll leave with you peacefully, but only if you can defeat me in battle."

She observed his eyes and realized he wasn't lying. She flapped her wings, releasing another small flurry of snow. "VERY WELL. LET US BEGIN OUR BATTLE OUTSIDE."

He nodded and the two walked outside without making eye contact.

"Where are you going, Absol?" Samir asked as the Disaster Pokémon walked towards the cave entrance.

She vaguely responded, "I sense something dangerous may happen during this battle."

The Chikorita nodded. "I do too. Let's watch from a distance."

A mystical, female voice interrupted, "Wait a moment, Samir."

Absol and Samir turned around and saw Ninetales watching them. "Before you watch, let me tell you what happened to Torchic."

The two were shocked. "You mean…Torchic's still alive?!" they shouted in unison.

The Fox Pokémon nodded solemnly. "Yes. I would have told Pikachu the truth, but Torchic told me himself not to inform him until the time is right. Now, I believe it is that time."

Alakazam responded. "We will keep watch, Samir, and will let you know if something bad would occur." Samir and Absol agreed, and Team A.C.T. stood watch over the ensuing battle from the cave. The Dark and Grass types then joined the elder Pokémon and sat in front of her.

Ninetales closed her eyes and a dark gray mist appeared in front of him. The mist then formed spectral images of Pikachu and his partners, Torchic and Absol, walking up a tower made of thick white clouds. She spoke of the tale with her eyes still closed.

"The rescue team of Pikachu, Torchic, and Absol climbed up Sky Tower to convince Rayquaza to destroy an oncoming meteor. Through Torchic's passionate speech, Rayquaza was moved but warned them that the impact would cause great harm to the team."

"I remember that," Absol added as the image shifted to a long, green snake-like Pokémon with yellow markings on his body aiming a Hyper Beam at the space rock. "All of us took that risk, so Rayquaza attacked it at close range. We were all knocked back to the ground and luckily survived. But…we couldn't find Torchic…"

"Yes. That is the version you and Pikachu know. But this is what really happened to Torchic." Ninetales formed another mental image, this time showing Torchic being caught by a green Pokémon with large eyes and white, red, and black wings. "Because Torchic was lighter than his partners, he flew further from the site where you and Pikachu were found. Xatu, the foreseer of the future, rescued him near Buried Relic. I made my way to them and was going to bring him back to his friends. But Torchic didn't want to come back."

"Wait, why?" Absol asked, anxious to know the truth.

The image faded, and Ninetales mournfully opened her eyes. "He felt that he wasn't strong enough to be with you and Pikachu. He wanted to train on his own to rejoin your rescue team."

"But he should have told us!" Absol exclaimed. "We could've all trained together."

Ninetales looked sadly at the cave floor. "I'm sorry, Absol. But Torchic swore me and Xatu to secrecy."

Absol got up. "It doesn't matter now. I need to tell Pikachu."

Suddenly, a loud thud echoed from outside. Everyone ran outside and saw an exhausted Pikachu standing over Articuno. The Legendary was badly injured, with several sparks coursing through her body.

"Are you okay, Pikachu?" Samir asked.

He nodded and ran towards them. But when Absol was about to tell him the story, Articuno aimed a beam of ice-blue energy and fired at the distracted Pokémon. Before anyone of them could react, a Flamethrower coming from the east melted the Ice Beam and connected with the Ice type, knocking her out. All heads looked towards that direction and their eyes laid on a Combusken who had a steely grin. Everyone except Samir recognized his Fire type, especially Pikachu. He gasped and ran towards the Combusken, who warmly embraced him.

"T-Torchic?" Pikachu mumbled with tears in his eyes. "Is…is that you?"

"Yeah, it's me, Pikachu." He replied in a deep, raspy voice.

They let go, and Pikachu babbled, "Where did you go? How did you evolve? Why didn't you come back?"

Combusken sadly smiled. "I wish I could tell you, Pikachu, but there isn't much time. You have to go back to the human world."

"But…"

"But nothing. I learned from a mysterious Pokémon that your human body has been in a deep slumber, and today is the last day before you can no longer return to that world."

Pikachu looked away. "But what if I can't come back?"

Ninetales placed one of her tails on the saddened Electric type's right shoulder. "Pikachu. If you were able to join us before, I'm sure you can come back. After all, the only thing that held you from returning to the human world was to see Torchic, or Combusken now, one last time."

"That's true." Pikachu then looked at his fellow rescuers. "Everyone. I will come back and have adventures with you again. Just please wait for me."

"Of course, Pikachu," Alakazam replied, trying to hold back tears. He and the rest of Team A.C.T. hugged Pikachu goodbye.

Pikachu then turned to Absol and Combusken. Absol was forlorn, but she replied, "Pikachu, I look forward to going on another rescue mission with you."

"As well as I, Absol. Thank you for helping us again." After their hug, Pikachu turned to his first partner. "Combusken. Thank you for everything. From starting our rescue team, to saving the world."

"You don't have to thank me, Pikachu," Combusken replied. "Now, go back and save yourself. I look forward to traveling with you again."

Sounds of snow shuffling broke the heartfelt atmosphere. Articuno stood up and her eyes returned to normal. Her injuries strangely disappeared, but it didn't matter. "THANK YOU, PIKACHU." She then looked at the Chikorita. "SAMIR, I RECEIVED A MESSAGE FROM SOMEWHERE BEYOND OUR WORLD."

"Oh, what is it, Articuno?"

"IF YOU GO TO WHERE YOU FIRST ENTERED THE POKEMON WORLD, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO RETURN TO THE HUMAN WORLD."

"That was Tiny Woods," Pikachu answered. "Actually, that was also where I was when I entered this world as well. Let's go together."

"ALLOW ME, SAMIR AND PIKACHU."

Articuno knelt down and folded her left wing downward. Pikachu and Samir got onto her back and waved goodbye to everyone. She then took off, leaving a trail of blue sparkles as she flew back into the forests near Pikachu's house. After she landed, they thanked her and she took off to rejoin her brother and sister. Someone was there to greet them, but not one any of them expected.


	11. PMD 10 (End)

**Chapter 10: Solace**

Dr. Mustard placed the unconscious Fennel onto a lounge chair in the lab. As he finished his task, he stared at the sleeping boy and sighed deeply.

 _Ms. Fennel. I apologize for my reckless actions, but it's the only way I can save him._

Suddenly, a knock echoed on his office door. Slightly unnerved, he answered, "Wh-Who is it?"

No answer, but the knocking continued.

"What's going on out there?" he wondered. His curiosity got the better of his wariness, and he slowly walked out, locked the lab door, and opened his office door. It was only his Hypno standing outside. "Mentor, what are you doing out here?"

"NOW!" the Psychic type shouted, pointing at his Trainer.

Banksia charged inside and slammed the professor onto the floor with her vines. Cappy and Terry then entered the office and towards the lab door.

"NO!" Dr. Mustard screamed desperately.

Mentor then entered and started his Hypnosis attack.

As the professor grew sleepier, he mumbled, "Mentor…stop…"

"I apologize, Master," Mentor whispered solemnly. "I have to fix this before you can no longer be forgiven."

Cappy broke open the lab door with Iron Tail and the four Pokémon marched inside. Banksia made her way towards Fennel and began to wake up the woman with her flowery scent.

"So how would this work, Mentor?" Cappy asked.

"I will enter your Trainer's mind and through there, I can physically enter the Pokémon world."

"You can?" Terry pondered.

The Hypno nodded, then frowned. "I…I have done some terrible things with my powers just to bring Lucas back. But now, I need to see if there's a better way."

Mentor then closed his eyes and became surrounded in magenta energy. Then, he lifted his arms forward and allowed his body to be sucked into Samir's left ear. All Samir's Pokémon could do was wait for their Trainer to return.

* * *

"M-Mentor?!" Pikachu shouted with surprise. The Hypno awkwardly waved at the Electric and Grass types.

Samir immediately formed a defensive pose at the Pokémon who was involved with his kidnapping.

Mentor peacefully showed his right hand. "Please calm down, Samir. I am not here to stop either of you."

Samir was puzzled by the Psychic type's change of behavior. "You're not?"

"Yes. I am here to bring you and Lucas back to the human world."

"Lucas?" Pikachu's eyes then sparkled. "Yes, I remember… My human name's Lucas!"

A slight wind blew through the trees. Mentor was surprised at this occurrence then realized what was happening. "Lucas…has this been happening due to your recovering memory?"

"Now that I think about it, yes. Why Mentor?"

"That must be the alternate way! Master said the only way to bring you back was through Wish Cave. But if your memory is returning, this should weaken the barrier between the two worlds so you could return without going to that location."

"But what about me?" Samir asked.

Mentor replied, "Since you came through artificial means, we can awaken you once I return to Master's office."

The Chikorita nodded. "That's fine. Return Lucas back first."

Pikachu was shocked and scared. "But, Samir! What if I don't see you again?"

Samir smiled. "Don't worry, you will. Go ahead, Mentor."

The Hypno offered the Pikachu his hand, and he took it. The two slowly disappeared, with Lucas sadly waving goodbye. Samir returned the gesture, grinning to stop his tears from flowing down his cheeks.

* * *

Samir's eyes slowly fluttered, bright light temporarily blinding him.

"Samir! Are you okay?"

 _I…I recognize that voice…_

"B-Banksia?" he muttered. He finally opened his eyes, and to his relief, he saw his team gazing at their Trainer with relief and happiness.

"What happened to you, Samir?" Terry inquired as the Meganium and Pikachu untied the restraints.

Once he was able to sit up, Samir rubbed his head. "It's a long story, but I'll tell you guys what happened later." The boy then noticed Mentor waking up Dr. Mustard. _So he did kidnap me…but now I know why._

"Samir!" Fennel shouted with fright in her voice. She recovered from the Hypnosis and ran towards him. "I'm so sorry this happened! Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine, Fennel. And it was quite the journey." He smiled, making her more unnerved.

"How could you be so calm when Dr. Mustard attacked you like this?!" Fennel then glared at her mentor, who began to stir. "I called campus security. They should be here soon."

"N-No!" the elder man stuttered, quickly rising to his feet. "Please, Ms. Fennel… I need to know if he's-"

A tall man wearing a black security uniform ran in and yelled, "Campus security! Don't move, Dr. Mustard!"

The professor calmly froze and raised his hands. He hung his head and didn't move as the security officer approached him. As he was being handcuffed, Dr. Mustard tearfully sniffled. _Now I will never see him again…_

Samir immediately jumped off the bed and shouted, "Dr. Mustard! Lucas should have returned to our world! Isn't that right, Mentor?"

The Hypno firmly nodded. "Yes, I just felt his presence in Saffron City not long ago."

Dr. Mustard stuttered, "I-Is th-that right…?"

Fennel gasped. "You mean, your grandson is no longer in that coma?!"

Samir determinedly replied, "There's only one way to find out." He then looked at the officer. "I know what Dr. Mustard did was wrong, but he was doing this to save his grandson, Lucas. Can you please let him see Lucas at the hospital before he is taken away?"

The officer sternly declined, "That would be breaking protocol. I'm not sure I can allow that."

"Then what about this?" Fennel offered. "We'll go see Lucas at the Saffron City Medical Center. When we find out what happened, can we call Dr. Mustard from the holding cell?"

The man looked at the two researchers, then relented, "I suppose so. But you have fifteen minutes."

"Then there's no time to waste!" Samir grabbed Fennel's sleeve and dragged her outside, trying to navigate through the crowded streets to reach the hospital across the city.

* * *

After a brisk check in with the nurse, Samir and Fennel boarded one of the six elevators at the Saffron City Medical Center to reach the Long Intensive Care Wing. The boy paced around as Fennel worriedly looked at him.

"Samir," Fennel tried to reassure the concerned child. "If what you say is true, Lucas should be fine."

"I know…" he reluctantly replied. "But I'm still scared he might've not made it in time."

The elevator dinged, and they entered the 20th floor. When they exited, several nurses dressed in blue garments ran towards Room 2006 in frantic excitement.

The three overheard their whispers. "Can you believe it? He's finally awake after three years!"

"It must be him!" Samir happily concluded.

After the medical staff left the room, they slowly entered the one-bedroom space. There, a teenage boy with light skin and short blond hair was lying in a bed. His blue eyes sparkled when he saw his visitors.

"Is that you, Fennel?" he croaked. His voice was slightly cracking between high and low pitches.

"Yes, it's me, Lucas," she gently replied.

He then looked at the boy he'd never seen before. Despite that, he welcomed the intern with a wide smile. "Let me guess, you're Samir?"

The intern laughed. "Yeah, that's me. It's great to finally meet you in person, Lucas."

The patient chuckled, then became serious. "Is Grandpa okay? Where is he?"

Fennel then remembered what they were supposed to do. "Let me call the security office right away!"

As she fiddled with her pink Pokégear, Lucas nervously asked his friend, "What happened to him?"

Samir didn't know how to explain. "Well…he kind of…got arrested for kidnapping me… But don't worry! I'll tell the authorities what really happened, promise!"

"I know you will," the teen whispered with a nod.

"I have you on speaker," Fennel announced as she placed her phone in front of the two boys.

{Lucas!} Dr. Mustard shouted. {Are you there?}

"Yes, Grandpa," he replied, trying to hold back a tear. "How long will you be gone? I need to give you the information-"

{That doesn't matter now. I'm just happy you're back…}

"Me too…"

{Thank you Ms. Fennel and Mr. Samir,} Dr. Mustard thanked the two. {I will face the consequences of my actions, no matter what my motives were.}

Lucas called out, "I'll wait for you, Grandpa, just like you did for me."

There was a pause, then {Thank you, Lucas.}

The Pokégear ended the call, and Fennel looked at the recovered teen. "We should let you get some more rest, Lucas. I'll come back soon."

Lucas nodded. "Thanks, Fennel."

"I'll come too, Lucas!" Samir enthusiastically added. "I want to get to know you more, if that's okay."

He laughed. "Of course!"

Fennel and Samir then waved goodbye and headed back to Saffron University. During the walk, Fennel was quieter than usual.

"Are you okay, Fennel?" Samir worriedly inquired.

Fennel softly smiled. "I'm fine, Samir. I'm so happy he's back… Dr. Mustard's not been the same since then, as you've experienced." She sadly and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry this all happened to you, Samir. I didn't know that was what Dr. Mustard was planning…"

Samir put her at ease with his wide grin. "That's all right, Fennel. I know you weren't involved, and I will let the police know about his motives. Plus, I experienced a lot being in the Pokémon world! I can tell you about it…if you still want to hear it."

Fennel nodded. "Of course. We can do it tomorrow, before we visit Lucas."

Samir nodded and once Fennel entered the university's gates, he returned to the Pokémon Center for some much needed sleep.

* * *

Samir slowly woke up and saw the familiar wooden hut in front of him. _Am I back in the Pokémon world?_ he wondered.

When Lucas came out of the hut as a Pikachu, this answered his question.

The Chikorita ran over to his friend. "How am I here with you, Lucas? I came here through a machine before."

Lucas pondered this. "Well, I consider you a friend now, Samir. Maybe that's also allowing you to enter the Pokémon world through normal means."

Samir excitedly exclaimed, "Does this mean we can visit whenever we can?"

The Pikachu nodded. "It appears so. Since time usually goes by faster here, we should get a lot done before we have to wake up. Come on, let's go on a rescue mission with Combusken and Absol."

"Right behind you, Lucas!"

The two ran into Pokémon Square, eager to make the most of their time here through their dreams. As they underwent several rescues throughout the area, Samir thought to himself. _I'm glad I did that experiment. I hope I can keep coming here whenever I can. And maybe see Lucas and Dr. Mustard reunited again…_

 **Thank you for reading the first side story, and I hope you enjoyed it! I know it was short, but there are more side stories coming up (eventually...) :) Let me know what you think of this story, and it'll help with the future stories. Stay tuned for the Orange Islands story, and thanks again for reading! :)**


End file.
